Pieces of the Past
by Deida
Summary: Not only is living with the team a nightmare that never ends, but add to that an intergalactic war-criminal, time-traveling, and a rather unexpected pregnancy. God, Tony's life really sucked sometimes. *you should see the movie before reading*
1. The Worst Day of Tony Stark's Life

**6:12 AM - Somewhere over the Atlantic**

Tony Stark ran his fingers through his well-cared for (curtsy of Pepper Potts and being a former man-whore) mop. He had just been in the lab with Bruce, working on a formula for some top secret, hush-hush item - presumably of mass destruction (which the "Council" would call protective measures against alien attack) - when he had been called by Pepper. Normally, Pepper respected his time in the lab, unless it was something important, and seeing as she briefed him daily, it must have been urgent. Either that, or she was jonsing for a piece of the genius-playboy-billionaire-philanthropist. Convinced that it was the later, Tony took the call, his smug face rapidly falling into shock, his color fading so fast Bruce watched him with apprehension. Ending the call faster than usual, Tony dropped his million dollar personally modified Smartphone on the grated ground, the glass cracking along the front, and he walked away with a dazed expression.

Ambling casually from the lab after his friend, hands in his pockets, Bruce found Tony leaning against the wall just outside the lab, running his fingers so obsessively through his hair, he feared that the other man would transfer from robotics (and whatever else it was that Tony did) to the field of hair restoration. Tony was a wreak, and not the way that he was famed for.

"Tony?" Bruce was more than just slightly concerned for Tony, Iron Man's eyes gorgeous brown eyes wide and dilated with fear, nostrils flaring as panic overtook him.

Looking over at the currently reserved scientist, neck moving as if by the will of a puppet-master, he lowered his hands, examining them as if he had never seen them before, Tony croaked with a dry throat, "I've spent my entire life living in my father's shadow. It was always, Stark Jr., or the son of the brilliant Howard Stark."

"I know what its like to have daddy issues, trust me." He thought bitterly of his own father and of how he had been abused by him as a child, "But what could Pepper possibly have told you to send you off the handle so suddenly?"

Had Tony not been terrorized by his girlfriend's words - whatever they were - he would have made some snarky comment about the irony of Banner's words, but in his current state, it was a miracle that he could speak at all, "Pepper's pregnant."

**7:10 AM**

Less than an hour had passed since news had broken about Tony and Pepper's bundle-to-be, and it seemed as if the entire Helicarrier had heard the news. A mentally mending Stark thought of three people who could be responsible for that, all of whom ratted him out as some form of a sick joke, but Fury had no sense of humor, and Natasha was even harder to get an emotion out of, so that only left one possible person: Thor, the Asgardian God of Thunder. The blonde didn't seem to bear his "friend" any ill-will on the outside, but Tony still wasn't entirely convinced that he had gotten over being shown up during any given encounter that they had ever had. He couldn't help it - he was just better than everyone else, including deities.

The point is, people continued to wish Pepper well, one or two giving Tony their condolences.

**11:36 AM - Conference Room**

Assembling the team in the bridge of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, Director Fury stood with his back to the heroes, arms crossed behind his back, skin taut over his knuckles, "I hear that one of our own is going to have an additional responsibility soon."

Shifting in his seat (the one closest to the door), Tony wondered if this meeting wasn't meant to merely torture him, "That's the word on the street."

"Contrary to how you live your entire life, not everyone gives a rat's ass about Tony Stark." He turned to face the tantruming diva with access to technology far beyond the public's wildest dreams, one eye darting a chair over to the only immortal in the room, "Thor, would you be so kind as to explain?"

The blonde nodded, "Aye."

"And keep it short, will you?" Tony rudely interrupted, marking the time on his watch.

Disgusted with the son of one of his closest friend's, Steve politely dipped his head towards the Asgardian, "What Mr. Stark means is that he's probably anxious to talk to Ms. Potts."

Clint and Widow exchanged a look that said something along the lines of _'Great, another Tony'_.

Unruffled by the cross talk, Thor continued grimly, "Friends, I have tiding from Asgard, and they are not to be taken lightly nor jested about."

"Just the kind of news I hate most." Tony sighed, leaning back in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest, a motion of boredom that Thor incorrectly took to be bracing oneself for the worst, "Good ahead, Goldilocks, what's new in Ass-guard?"

Steve shot Tony a disappointed look, but said nothing.

"The Allfather has grown weary of my brother. Loki has sat in his cell for days, just staring at the wall. He never moves, and his food goes untouched," Thor seemed edgier than the others had ever seen him be, "Our mother offers him words of kindness, but he will answer to no one. The Allfather fears for his safety, and for the safety of the realms."

Bruce startled everyone when he spoke up, moments ago his fingers laced in thought as he listened to an older brother worry about his little monster of a brother, "I understand why you're concerned, but I don't see why your father thinks placing Loki in your care is the best option."

As usual, Bruce's brain was ahead of the rest, and Fury didn't doubt for a moment that Stark's was the same, but he knew that Tony was probably a million miles from here, thinking about his progeny, taking in only enough for the moment to make wise cracks if given the opportunity. Fury was not about to give him that chance.

"Thor isn't the only one that has been chosen to monitor the war criminal known as Loki. As Avengers, it's your job to protect the earth."

Tony, who had been absorbing more of this than Fury had given him credit for, jumped to his feet in anger and panic, as if he hadn't been feeling enough of that today, "Bullshit! No, I won't allow it. Not going to happen. Pepper needs all the peace she can get. She's in no condition for that kind of stress."

All that Steve got was that Tony was upset over Ms. Potts, as evident to the rest of them by his baffled inquiry, "English, please? We're not all geniuses here."

Hawkeye, who was still bitter about the brainwashing he had suffered at Loki's hands, took this one, keeping up well enough, "Apparently, Asgard is returning Loki to our custody, in the one place that can contain him - "

"My house." Tony snapped in a clipped voice, ready to launch himself at the man in charge, though legally, he knew that he had no grounds to do so, as joining Fury's boy-band (and Widow) had waived his rights as a civilian, as they all had. Unfortunately though, he had not read the fine print of the paperwork, just signing it to get rid of S.H.I.E.L.D. as soon as he could. "I guess I should be flattered that my house is the most securely advanced, high-tech prison that S.H.I.E.L.D. could find."

Rolling her eyes at Tony and his vanity, Natasha crossed her legs, glaring at the billionaire, "Your house is one of our options, but as we're the only ones qualified enough to handle the hostile, we're as much a prisoner as he is. So unless you want to raise your child underground, I suggest that you cooperate with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s generous offer."

Tony turned to Hawkeye, pointing at the redhead as if he were four years old again, "How do you put up with her?"

Her stare turned even icier, the others waiting for Tony to just drop from the sheer ferocity of her disdainful annoyance with the richest one amongst them all (at times she actually was fond of him, but he somehow managed to make that feeling last for all of a second), "Clint doesn't 'put up' with me. We're partners who know each other's boundaries."

"Bruce, help here?" Tony looked to the only other brain in the sky, knowing as well as the rest of them of the odd friendship that the meek scientist had taken up with the brutal assassin.

He shrugged, at a loss for what to say, turning back to the problem at hand, "What do you mean by 'fears for his safety, and for the safety of the realms'?"

"Loki's behavior started only a day or two ago, and my father is worried that he is either trying to contact someone, or is trapped in his own mind."

Seeing some silver lining at least, Tony decided that now wasn't a time to be too picky about where it came from, "At least he should be quiet. Are you sure he isn't dead? I could always poke him with a stick to make sure he didn't die."

Unamused by his joke, Thor frowned at the metal-man, "My brother lives still."

"Whatever you say. So, when should I be expecting tall, dark, and psycho?" Tony stood up, clapping his hands together excitedly, "I think that I'll take the last shift, so you can just sort that out amongst yourselves."

Everyone just ignored him and acted as if he hadn't spoken, which is usually an insurmountable task, successful once every six months or so.

"So let me get this straight, you want us to live together, keeping our eyes on Loki? That'll be easy," Bruce snorted audibly, clearly at doubt about the situation, though it was unclear about whether or not he meant living with his teammates or with a sociopath.

"Don't forget about Pepper and the baby." Natasha reminded the team gently, and Tony could have sworn that she was smirking through her unreadable demeanor.

Tony hated them all...

They had actually somehow become friends, but at that moment, he hated them all so much...

* * *

I think I actually did alright with this chapter! Ok, now before I get flambeed for making Pepper preggers, know that I have a reason - *minor spoiler if you haven't seen the movie* The twelve percent of her "baby". I mean, come on, how hilarious would it be to actually see Tony get that scare? I love Tony, and I really love him with Pepper. And as for the rest of this story, there is a story, but there will also be some crack-esque/zany shit going down too.

Reviews would be lovely, thank you very much!


	2. Laying Down the Law, Pepper Style

**12:48 PM - Stark Tower  
**

Pepper felt sick, and she was pretty sure that it had nothing to do with the unplanned baby growing inside her womb. Ok, well maybe a little bit of it was the surprise pregnancy, but mostly it was the fact that she would have to split her time not only dealing with her boyfriend, but now with an entire host of people, including one who was bent on revenge. Who in their right mind agreed to this? She understood the contract that Tony had signed, getting JARVIS to procure her a copy (without anyone's knowledge or permission), but why in the world he would actually agree to house them in their new home was beyond her.

The meeting had ended only a few minutes ago, after all of the details had been taken care of (at least for the most part), and Tony had promptly called her to fill her in on the details (careful to avoid the topic of their last call). At first she thought that it was a bad joke taken too far, but after a quick exchange with Bruce, she realized that she was about to become a mother of six and a half. Scratch that figure, she forgot to include Loki, who made seven and a half. She wasn't even sure how she had felt about one real baby, her's or not, and now she was in charge of at least three questionably competent adults! Loki's capacity for understanding the modern world (or the world itself in Tony's case), was still a mystery to the redhead, as she had only gathered a small glimpse at him and his attitude from the Avengers.

She loved Tony, but there were times (more often in a day than could be counted by a human) that she wished that there was no Iron Man...

**1:37 PM (human time) - Asgard, A Few Days Ago  
**

Locked in solitary confinement, Loki had probably seen more visitors in a week than most normal criminals did in a month. True, it was really only Queen Frigga that had come by to see him, but it seemed as if she had returned before she had even left. The emerald-eyed one found it hard to concentrate as her sentimental words jarred his ears, passing through one side of his head and out the other, blown by the wind for all he cared. Were she not blinded by the lies of her husband, he might have considered listening to her, but as such, he did all that he could drown out her insufferable droning about ridiculous ideals such as 'love' and 'family'.

_Mother._ A part of Loki lingered still, buried deep within the malice and contempt, that still yearned for the love of his family, that cared about them, but he had been so spurned by the people that said that they would always love him, no matter what, he had lost all hope of reconciliation. No matter what horrors the Other had promised him, Loki knew deep down that he was already suffering the worst fate that could be placed upon him, not that he wasn't afraid of retribution.

In time, however, he had succeeded in his mediation and reached the place he had been trying to get to - the designated meeting place where he could confer with The Other. He knew that he had messed up in the worst of ways, but being a master manipulator (unfortunately thanks to a certain Avenger ((now known to him as the "mewling quim")), he was unable to call himself _the_ master), fairly certain that he could make a bargain that could save his skin _and_ still offer plenty of reward.

The tiny tyrant stood amongst the rocks, waiting to see his cohort, but instead of the intimidating figure cut out by the Other, Loki saw an unfamiliar shape forming before his eyes. Stepping forward from behind a natural stone pillar, figure becoming closer but no more defined, he gazed at the cloaked silhouette, waiting for it to make the first move - an agreement would be harder to reach if he had acted hostilely.

"I'm afraid that I can't allow you to leave this place just yet," The voice was feminine, and it sounded morose, yet for all that Loki could see of the figure, it might as well have been anything, or anyone, "When you wake, you shall find yourself on earth, in the care of those that have ruined you."

Narrowing his eyes suspiciously, Loki sneered, "Liar! You have no such power over me, nor knowledge of - "

Shaking its hooded head, a fist in a worn leather glove lashed forward with the force of a speeding truck, striking him right in the nose. He went flying back, unconscious, "I tried to warn you."

**2:55 PM - Stark Mansion, The Present**

Gathered outside a house that could rival both the White House and the Lincoln Memorial combined, half the walls made of indestructible window, the Avenger's were handed a book - not a booklet - on the rules and a complete instruction on the uses of JARVIS (and other devices). Given only two hours to work, Pepper and JARVIS had combined their powers to create a rough draft of everything that they felt important for their guests to know. Most of it was done by JARVIS, with a fair amount of input by Tony himself.

"I know that we have a couple of days until our final gue-"

Pepper was cut off by Tony, "You don't have to mince words, Pepp. You can just call him what he is: A psychotic diva with daddy issues, no offense big guy."

Too busy reading the book (from end to beginning), Thor didn't hear Tony, which was probably for the best.

However, Clint did hear him, "Do you even hear yourself sometimes?"

"You mean if he's not too busy looking at himself?" Steve snorted, not helping the situation at all.

"Tony isn't a complete psycho," Natasha surprisingly came to his defense, "yet. Keep yourself any more contained in the lab, and it might just happen one day."

Tony and Pepper looked at each other, silently exchanging a 'what do I/you do to piss her off?'.

Also a lab-shut in, Bruce was slightly offended by the remark, even though he knew that it wasn't directed at him, "Thanks."

"You know that I don't mean you." She smiled at him, and out of the corner of his eye, Tony could have sworn that he saw Clint look away, scowling to himself.

Sighing, Pepper decided to at least try to get this tour back on track, "Loki will be arriving tomorrow, but I would like it if we could aquatint ourselves with the rules first."

"Woman of Stark's, I thank you for your generous hospitality," The God of Thunder took her hands, beaming earnestly, "and may the Goddess of Fertility bless your child with his father's intelligence and your charm."

"Oh, no." Tony closed his eyes, pinching the corners together, alarm in his tone.

She rounded in on Tony, "You told them?"

Taken aback, thinking that she was going to berate Thor for his unfortunate choice of words, Tony felt himself shrinking before the compact redhead, "I told Bruce."

Glaring at Bruce, he pointed at Natasha, "I told her."

"He told me in passing, because I saw Stark huddled in a corner pulling his hair out," She explained calmly, "And when I expressed something relating to the matter to the doctor, Clint overheard."

Clint shrugged, not the only one to accidentally overhear Natasha and Bruce, "I think Coulson also heard the news."

Still seething, but unable to pin the blame on any one person, Pepper turned her attention back to Tony, "You and I are going to talk later."

**2:59 PM **-** The Outskirts of New York, New York**

Glancing up from a map of New York City, a figure in a long black trench coat with worn leather gloves closed the map, a smile on underneath the upturned collar of the jacket, "I'm coming for you Tony. I hope you're ready for me this time."

**3:15 PM - Main Living Area # 1**

Tour of all the accessible parts of the mansion over with, Pepper had sat everyone down in her favorite living room, which the original blueprints of the house had designated "Main living area # 1 (out of three main, five secondary, two garages, one gym, an indoor pool, four offices, 12 bathrooms, 15 bedrooms ((eight of them masters)), and an entire floor that was strictly for lab use)". Out of all the rooms, it was probably the homiest, the walls still lined with the crayons of a two year old, the faint sent of spilled engine oil staining the floor. This was the only room that spoke of a family, old family pictures still lining the mantlepiece and decorative tables. This room made her think of Tony, of all the good that he has accomplished and will accomplish.

But she was still mad at him.

"This is where you grew up?" Steve asked, admiring the photos of Howard and his family, "When I knew Howard, the last thing on his mind was family."

At once he had regretted his words, seeing the hurt look of hurt on Miss Potts face.

"I didn't mean it like that! I..."

"Just stop talking." Natasha advised.

"Right." He frowned, looking back at the photos so that he couldn't cause any more damage.

Coming on over the intercom, JARVIS introduced himself to the team, "I am JARVIS-"

"Just save it JARV," Tony snapped at the AI, angry at the situation.

Hearing the voice from nowhere, Thor jumped, hammer magically in his hand, ready to defend himself and his allies, "Who goes there?"

Pepper rolled her eyes, "That was JARVIS. He runs the house."

Reminded suddenly of why they had all arrived at his trillion dollar home, Tony pointed at the television set, "No one not born in this century may operate any of the electric devices without proper supervision, do you understand?"

It was actually Rule number one.

The House Rules:

1: No one individual born before the year 1950 is allowed to operate any electric device; The television set, the telephone, the microwave, the oven, etc, etc.

2: No weapons may be deployed in the house for any reason other than self-defense.

3: No use of superpowers (unless approved by Pepper).

4: Clean up after yourself.

5: Respect each other.

6: Respect each other's stuff.

7: Ask permission before you leave the premises.

8: Consider one another's interests.

9: When we have work to do, we do it without complaining (This especially applies to Tony).

10: No pets.

Rule-breaking will be dealt with accordingly.

* * *

Wow, not such a bad turn out so far! Thanks you guys! Alright, so the next chapter won't be so serious, and I don't expect it to be long like the last two either, but who knows? And for those of you who haven't seen the movie *spoiler alert* Coulson isn't dead in my version. *end* I strongly disagreed with that scene, though I do see the point of it, and in all fairness, they did it in the best possible way, but still, I refuse to accept it! Oh well. Before I forget, don't call anyone a mewling quim, it's not very nice. Ok, so if there are any questions, comments, concerns with my writing (such as characterization), or requests, please, leave a review and let me know!


	3. A Slap For A Sleepless Steve

**4:15 PM - Stark Mansion, Tony and Pepper's Bedroom**

"Hey, Pepper, is it just me, or is it exhausting to have to keep track of time?" Tony remarked to Pepper out of the blue.

She looked at him, replying casually, "Not if you have something important to do."

"But if you have nothing to do, why do it?" His point had been made.

**Later that night, Stark Mansion, Steve's Bedroom**

After everyone had been sorted into their rooms (luggage waiting to be picked up when it arrived (officially moving in to Stark Mansion, it was only right that they had a certain number of their belongings brought over (not that any of them had much to begin with))), Pepper had pulled Tony into their shared room with a good tongue-lashing ready. Having spent time with Pepper during her brief stint at Stark Enterprise, Natasha could imagine what he was in for, better than the others. Clint wasn't entirely sure that Tony deserved it this time, but he wasn't about to stick his nose where it didn't belong. Bruce just hoped that Pepper wasn't too hard on him and made him lose all credibility in a single night. On the bright side, if she did, at least it happened before Loki arrived to make matters worse. Thor had no idea what was going on with Tony and Pepper, having lived a life full of chambermaids, not girlfriends (he had yet to be with Jane long enough to learn that lesson).

Laying with his back to the mattress, arm underneath his neck, Steve stared at the ceiling, examining the poles that held up the navy canopy. He had never slept on such a nice bed before, though he had known of their existence. Finding that fleeting distraction no more enthralling than he had expected it to be, he turned on his side, flashes of _before_ (before being before he had been revived from the ice) obscuring his vision. He had been advised to go talk to someone about his experiences, anyone, but who in all creation could possibly understand? He had wondered if any of the war vets might be a possibility, but either they were too far gone, or they simply wouldn't believe him. And who could blame them for that? Even he could scarcely believe it, and he had experienced it! Groaning, he flipped over so that he was on his stomach. This was going to be a very long night.

**CRASHHHHHH!**

Something heavy could be heard falling a few rooms over. The something was, from the sounds of it, a flat-screen (apparently they weren't as light as they seemed), and the room in question was Thor's (considering the rules, it really wasn't that smart a move to put televisions in every room). Debating if he should get involved, Steve glanced at the bright red wall clock hanging opposite the door, seeing that he had only been in bed for four minutes.

"Can't a guy catch a break?" He sighed, pulling himself from the silken sheets.

"... Magic box!" He just caught the tail end of one of Thor's rants, the door open wide as the team (and Pepper) bottle-necked the doorway.

Seeing that they had him more than taken care of, Steve turned around and headed back to his room to lay awake in bed. Joy.

Walking slowly down the carpeted hallway, observing the way the shadows danced on the walls, he froze in his tracks, one shadow going against the rest, slipping by through the natural light. Glancing over his shoulder, everyone else still preoccupied with Thor, he thought that there was no need to alarm them anymore, especially poor Miss Potts. That poor woman really could use a break, having to suffer Tony, and now the rest of them. Speaking only for himself, he could imagine that it wasn't easy to have to watch over a technologically-stunted man. Maybe he could go back to his room and try to figure out at least how the t.V. worked, after he dealt with the shadow of course.

Beep. Beep. There was a faint beeping coming from behind the statue (Steve had no idea was it was supposed to be, but it reminded him of a stretched out something, tangled in on itself) between his room and the room that was going to be Loki's (the Avengers had been free to pick their own rooms, on the condition that two of them had be on either side of a specially designated room (Thor was on the other side)).

Not seeing anything at first, he bent down and began to examine the floor, glimpsing some kind plastic mouse-puck hybrid that was cleaning the floor. An odd little creature, he had thought of reporting this, but after watching it for a second, it became clear that the little creature was friendly, so he shrugged and went back to his room, hoping that he could find sleep. Even an hour would be something, though hopefully since Loki would be arriving that afternoon, he prayed for more so that he could be on his toes.

**The Next Morning**

Having worked through her anger at Tony, Pepper stood in the kitchen, making a pot of coffee, a slightly-too-large robe drawn tight over a sheer camisole with matching shorts. She had no idea how any of them liked their coffee, so she would wait for them to fill in the specifics, so long as it wasn't anything too specific, or hero or not, they would get a pot of hot coffee in their lap. She was usually more gracious than that, but she had gotten less sleep than she would have liked, Tony lucky enough to get to sleep like a log for an additional couple of hours.

"Pepper," Bruce (in his clothes from yesterday) was already seated at the solid maroon island, a meager breakfast of toast and the morning's paper spread before the scientist, "You don't happen to know the time he'll be arriving do you? There was something I wanted to check on, but I don't want it to look like I'm not taking this seriously."

Smiling warmly at the adorably goofy scientist, she shook her head, "Sorry, no. I'm not even sure that Thor knows exactly. If it helps, my thought is around noon."

Returning her smile, he nodded, "Thanks."

Sweet, but not that helpful.

"Morning, Bruce." Natasha, in a fluffy pink bathrobe (which completely took Pepper off guard), beamed at him, unaware of Pepper's presence (she had wandered into the pantry for spare coffee mugs), "I really enjoyed last night."

"Just what I wanted to hear first thing in the morning." Clint had walked into the kitchen at the wrong moment, assuming the worst.

Natasha rolled her eyes, turning to face her fellow assassin, "Not everything is about sex. Bruce and I just so happened to have been having a most compelling conversation about the decaying morals and ethics of society."

"Sounds like someone's in the 'friend zone'. Sorry about that buddy," Adding his two-cents, Tony ambled into the kitchen, his ACDC shirt on inside-out _and_ backwards. Was it possible that that was both the best and worst that he's ever looked?

"Morning." Pepper pecked Tony on the check as he sat down next to Bruce.

"It is a glorious day to be alive!" Thor thundered, joining Tony and Bruce (Natasha and Clint were both digging around in the cabinets on opposite sides of the kitchen (which was large enough for at least twenty chefs), having some sort of silent war).

Rubbing his temples, Steve followed behind the Asgardian, sitting at the corner of the island, mumbling a brief greeting to his teammates, and Pepper. Tony glanced over at him, thinking to himself that he looked better after the fight with the Chitauri. He was about to say so, but he caught the look on Pepper's face and decided that it wasn't worth getting chided again.

"Sir," Jarvis addressed Tony, "There is someone at the door. She says that it's urgent."

He looked at Pepper, "Who comes over to someone else's house this early in the morning?"

Ignoring Tony, though she personally agreed, Pepper asked Jarvis, "Display."

A second ago, the counter-top was flawless, made of granite, then at her command, all at once, the surface opened in several places, the counter-top now appearing to be a mass of computer screens. On the screen was a young woman appearing to be in her early twenties, maybe her late teens, with dazzling hazel eyes that seemed familiar somehow. Half of her dark auburn hair was piled on her shoulder, the other half in a very slim ponytail.

"Steve, would you...?" Pepper turned to the hero closest to the door, her hands suddenly tied with cups waiting to be filled with coffee.

Being the nice guy that he was, he got up, going to the door. It wasn't too far of a walk from the kitchen to the front door, which would be handy for days that didn't have the best of starts. Shoving away the immaterial thoughts of late breakfasts, he opened the door, realizing that he had no idea if he was supposed to send the woman away or invite her inside.

Opening the door, he looked at the woman, his baby blues locking momentarily with her hazel orbs. Thwack! Her hand collided with his cheek, "That's for not coming after me, you dope!"

The woman shoved her way passed a shell-shocked Captain, heading straight for the kitchen. She looked like she was going to murder someone, though she didn't appear to be armed. Like that mattered? Following her inside, wondering how she knew exactly where to go (and why she had slapped him), he almost bumped into her as she froze in the doorway, her eyes fixed on Pepper.

* * *

So I take a few days to write the last chapter, but I finish this one in a day? Yeah, that makes a lot of sense... Anyways, I'm sorry, I was hoping to put Loki in this chapter, but thanks to me writing their experiences before his arrival, it got pushed back, boo. But on that note, wonder who this woman is? Naturally I know, but do you? Sorry, half tired... Anyways, I love you guys, and I can't wait to hear more of your reviews!

**EDIT:**

Wow, so I re-read this chapter, and oh my GOD, it was terrible! Spelling/grammar errors, poor formatting, and lackluster description? Why did I post this so prematurely? Can you ever forgive me? Can I forgive myself?


	4. Bruce's Interrogation

"Steve, why is your face red?" Pepper set down the coffee pot, looking beyond the unknown woman at Steve, his face indeed a bright red where her hand had struck it (he was holding his cheek, less in pain and more in shock).

The woman continued to stare at Pepper, frozen in the doorway, hazel eyes wide and lightly tanned skin faded beyond a paper-white, looking as if she had seen a ghost, "It can't be... I didn't even realize... Mother...? Is it really you?"

Everyone looked between the woman and Pepper, the latter of who dropped the mug she was holding, spilling hot coffee all over her leg. Dashing to the sink (no body doing more than watching the stranger), the woman ripped a rag from the second drawer next to the cutlery, running it under a cold tap before pressing it to the older female's leg. The girl fussed over Pepper, acting as if she were the holiest of figures, made entirely of glass. If it wasn't so disturbing, it might have been sweet. Possibly. Hell, how could any of them not see this as odd? And these were all people that fought aliens, were friends with a god, and lead purely unusual lives as it was!

"Mother, are you alright? You have to be more careful! I would hate to lose you in such an embarrassing way this time..." She sounded like she was talking to a three-year old, still fretting about Pepper's leg.

Thor muttered to himself in confusion, "This time?"

"Um, Steve, why did you let this cr-" Tony began, whispering loudly to his friend, making no attempt at hiding his rudeness from the stranger (who was more than a potential threat, judging only from her knowledge of the house and the way she catered to Pepper).

Cutting him off, her attention falling on the billionaire, she was instantly the personification of wrath (the team swearing that the ends of her hair were flickering as if on fire), "YOU! You bastard, I'm going to kill you!"

Throwing herself forward with nothing more than her bare hands, Steve and Thor were on either side of the young woman, catching her in midair as she leaped across the room, holding her back from ripping out Tony's eyes, or worse. Aside from the odd "mother" thing with Pepper, they took her side, feeling that he probably deserved it, though being the good guys, they couldn't act on it. Well, not in good conscious anyways.

Glancing over at Pepper, Tony looked to her for help, "Hey, 'mother', why don't you get little miss confused out of here before she tries to kill us all, hm?"

Further infuriated by Tony, she snarled out, almost going full-out animal, "Don't you dare call her that! If it weren't for you she would still be alive, and I wouldn't have been forced to grow up with you!"

Even more lost (if that were even possible), Natasha stepped up to the plate, stalking like a cat up behind the girl, tapping her lightly in the spine with a Taser that had been hidden up her light pink sleeve. Subdued by the electricity, the woman slumped forward in her captors' arms, mind racing, body unable to move. Taking the girl's limp body off their hands, Natasha shoved her forcefully into the counter, restraining her with a pair of silver handcuffs (magically pulled from no visible source).

**BAM!**

At the exact same time that Natasha had stepped in, there was the sound of a miniature explosion, and a blinding white light had lit the room, completely filling it up so that for a moment, everyone was blind. There was not a doubt in anyone's mind that Loki had arrived. Great, just what they needed right now...

"Problems on the home-front already? I would have at least given you another forty-eight hours before you turned on each other," Loki smirked, surveying the disarrayed kitchen, "Unless this is a preview of what I can expect if I misbehave?"

Glaring at the newest arrival (and reason for all of this), Clint cracked his knuckles threateningly, "If you try anything, you'll wish that this was a preview."

"Ohhh, still sore about our last encounter, agent Barton?" He aimed low, and he did it was if it were natural, "Can I still even call you an agent?"

"Clint, don't." Natasha's voice was cool, level as she spoke to the archer, "You're better than that."

Loki didn't even bother with her, even though he knew that he could easily cause severe damage to both the team and her mental state. They both knew that he could do it. But why spoil the fun of watching her squirm, waiting for the right moment to get under skin?

Jaded eyes passing over the female agent, he caught something that surprised him, or rather, someone. Narrowing his eyes at the woman being crushed into the granite, he took two measured steps closer, mind's eye filling in the silhouette of the being that had spoken to him in place of the Other. Very interesting.

Naturally, Thor was right by Loki's side, booming voice ringing in the trickster's ears, "Brother, you are fine now?"

"Who is that mortal?" He ignored his brother, gesturing at the stranger.

"No matching records can be found." JARVIS informed them all, coincidentally when asked the woman's identity, previously doing a background check on the woman.

Hearing the AI for the first time, Loki looked around, amused by this mortal trick, but not shocked by it.

Frightened for their safety, Pepper looked around the room at six equally troubled faces (Loki could care less about what the mortals could find on this woman, aware that there was something otherworldly about her), "What does that mean? Doesn't S.H.I.E.L.D. have some kind of - "

Coughing underneath the former Russian, her mouth numb, she spoke up, "Beca I'm mot from aroun here. I won't be borm for anetmber eight months (Because I'm not from around here. I won't be born for another eight months)."

Looking to Tony and Pepper for confirmation, Widow backed away, allowing the woman to stand up, though her eyes didn't leave her target for a second, "Make any sudden movements, and Loki won't be the only prisoner."

Nodding, staring only at Pepper, the woman rolled her tongue as the feeling came back (the Taser that Natasha used wasn't very strong), "Fine. My name," Her gaze flickered to Loki so quickly, only he had noticed the gesture (her stare resting on Steve for a visible and semi-awkward moment), "is Magdalyn Cambira Grace Stark. My best friend is Nadia Banner, and my last... boyfriend...," She wasn't sure what to say, so it was obvious that it wasn't that kind of relationship, "was Steve Rogers."

They looked at Steve, the doubt of doubt in eyes. Was it true? Looking at her age, the timeline of events, and his age, then or now, and it didn't exactly add up. But then again, he had been frozen once, so was to say that it didn't happen, or that his aging had even continued. It would also explain why she had struck him out of nowhere, but if she was Tony's daughter, why would he betray his friend that way? Unless they were no longer friends by that time... Head whirling with ideas, some more absurd than others, Steve looked at Magdalyn.

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" He asked, blue eyes boring into hers.

She sighed, shaking her head. Of course he would ask that, and of course, she had the answer ready. Going over to him (one wary eye on Widow as she moved), she whispered something in his ear. Listening to her words, his face turned whiter than the ice that had cradled him for seventy plus years, "She's telling the truth."

Still not convinced that this girl was a time-traveler (even though he knew aliens and she had told Steve something that presumably only he would know), Bruce took a more scientific (surprising for a scientist) approach, "If you're really from the future, how did you get here?"

"...I'm the daughter of a super genius, you do the math."

Tony was a genius, and it wasn't impossible for her to have ordinary intelligence (hence her not knowing how she had actually arrived in another time), but something about the girl made him uneasy, "Possible, but if you're here now, and before you were born, how is that not creating a time paradox?"

That one was easy, "The future isn't set in stone, so my being here only changes the future, but it won't create a universe destroying black hole. For instance, in my future, you have a daughter a year younger than I am, but in this future, you might never have Nadia because you might never ask out her mother. Or maybe because Tony has tea instead of coffee, a piano might fall on his head and kill him. Or his daughter might just use some piano wire to - "

"We get it." Pepper fixed Magdalyn with a stony glare, the edges of which were wrought with uncertainty.

Bruce resumed his interrogation, "Why are you here?"

Ah, that was the fundamental question, wasn't it? Being Tony's child, Magdalyn couldn't help but to be a smartass about it, "Here as in the kitchen, or here as in the great philosophical question of life itself?"

Tony snorted, half convinced by that remark alone that she was his daughter. Pepper could believe it too.

Loki had found her rebellious nature more amusing than her actual comment, "Not a great way to prove your case."

"Nadia would have laughed. No, I'm actually here for two reasons: I want to kill my father, and I wanted to find a way to prevent myself from making the worst decision of my life, which could actually benefit humanity. I know that my story sounds far-fetched, even after meeting Thor and fighting Loki and his Chitauri army" Magdalyn looked around the room at the skeptical faces, "but you have to believe me..."

Knowing firsthand what it felt like to be pitted against those that you loved (no thanks to Loki), Clint took her side, "I think we should keep her. It's not like we have to decide her fate right now, and besides, Stark has more than enough room for one more."

"Who here votes for her to stay?" Bruce asked, question in his voice. He knew that this wouldn't end well.

Even though she had said that she had intended to kill Tony, none of them took that threat seriously. Loki wasn't so quick to trust her, however, even he had raised his hand for her to stay.

Trying to object, Tony was quickly over-ruled by a majority vote (he had been the only not to raise his hand), "Fine, why not add another attempted murderer to the mix? If you wake up with your throat slit, don't come crying to me."

Relaxing, Natasha turned back to Tony, "I think the only one who has to worry about his throat is you."

Clint chuckled at that, setting off a chain of reactions that left only Loki ad Magdalyn out.

Being unnaturally quiet the entire time, observing this "Magdalyn" and the skill with which she twisted the truth, Loki finally spoke, keeping his voice down so that only she could hear, "Why are you here? Really?"

* * *

Alright, if you missed it, I updated/reloaded the last chapter, because it was kinda crap. Nothing in the story changed, but it is markedly better, if I do say so myself. I have no idea why I posted it when I did, barely glanced over, but I did. Sorry! And to address those last few reviews, wow. I respect your dislike/hatred for OCs, and I do appreciate you telling me, I really do, and though it kills me to know that I lost a reader, I think that you should at least give OCs a chance. I can only speak for myself, but how do readers expect OCs to be less unbearable if the readers don't help the author by pointing out things that can be improved so that the OCs don't suck? I guess that's my problem, and I hope that I don't lose many more of you over this... (Hint hint, review on my OC, grill me for even the tiniest flaw that you don't like, but just help me to make a better character, please)

And I'm sorry that this chapter took for freaking ever to finish! One day this week I couldn't work at all, and yeah...

Please, please, review!


	5. Loki's Secret Talent

Speaking in a hushed tone with the God of Mischief while the Avengers were bickering over a remark that ended with toilet paper brands, Magdalyn, the alleged daughter of Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, smirked slyly at him, glad that he wasn't waiting to play his hand. It was boring when all the pieces wanted to to stall and see how things went before actually entering the match themselves! Even if he had had nothing to do with the affair, she knew that he would provide a source of interest. He had encountered her once before, and it had been an odd meeting to say the least, so he was curious about what she was game for, and by that, he meant who's pawn she was.

To keep the imbecilic do-gooders from their backs (fair enough, some of them had possessed a certain level of intellect, but it was nothing to match his own), he measured his volume as he addressed the woman calling herself 'Magdalyn', "Why are you here? Really?"

"I enjoy a good game." She shrugged, "But it's been such a long time since I had a decent playmate."

He narrowed his eyes at her, "You might fool the others, but I know you're not who you say you are."

"Black mailing me? It won't work," Magdalyn grinned wildly, "But we don't have to be enemies, do we? You might make _him_ even madder if you don't join me. I know what the Other showed you, and I can make it happen."

Catching on at last that they had been speaking, Steve turned the attention back to the new arrivals, "Make what happen?"

She blinked, an innocent look back on her oval face, "What? Oh, I was merely telling him that if I had the desire, I could make it so that he was eating the dirt from my boots. Naturally, I don't wish to combat with such a worthy opponent unless I have to. The one good thing about being the daughter of a superhero is that you have access to some very impressive masters."

Knowing that the mortals would expect him to react to the woman's words, Loki followed suit if only to see where her game would lead, and partially out of fear that she had spoken the truth (he doubted that she alone would be a match for the likes of himself, but if she had truly made an alliance with them, well, he had no doubt in his mind that she could prove more than a challenge), "The arrogance of you ants is breathtaking indeed, to think that you could defeat the likes of a god!"

She shrugged, turning her back to the trickster, engaging in a conversation with the one known as Pepper. Loki knew that that woman wasn't really who she claimed to be, though he did admit that it was possible that Magdalyn Stark did exist. Maybe she was telling the truth about the body's identity, but there was no conceivable way that she was what she appeared to be. He knew not what she was, but the strength she possessed, the craft with which she wove her tales, and the foresight that she had shown when they had first met were deeply troubling. Could it be that was...? He hoped for the first time in his life that he was wrong.

But if he wasn't (and he rarely ever was), then that would also explain the monster's aversion to her...

Woman aside, he still had his own agenda to attend to, which included recompense for his battle with the Midgardians, as well as escaping his foolish brother... No, that oaf wasn't his brother, not anymore...

_Brother, why weren't you there for me? Is it that your precious woman and her miserable kind are more important to you? Is that why you were blind to my pain? Didn't you see the look in my eyes when we spoke together? Brother, why do you turn your back to me when I need you the most? _It felt like he was standing in a room full of people, screaming at the top of his lungs, and none of them batted an eye in his direction. Loki hated going to that place, that part of himself that still loved Thor and wanted to forget everything, but he found it inescapable. He worried that being with his brother (and his horrible allies) would affect that part of his psyche. He wasn't sure he liked the thought of testing that, as stifling it gave him both direction and purpose - he shuddered to think of what would happen if his control were ever to slip._  
_

**Later That Day, Sometime Around Noon**

After being sorted into their rooms (Magdalyn's next to Clint's and across from Loki's on the fourth floor (Tony wanting Loki's room to be as far from his as possible, and Clint wanting a room where he could keep an extra eye on the bastard)), Loki gazed around at his new quarters in disgust. It was true that prison was more drab than this and far worse a place, no light allowed into the slightest crack, damp coldness seeping in through the crevasses to chill the heart and numb the blood. But this? This made him miss his cell back on Asgard! The white walls burned his eyes, the pastel flowers singeing his soul, tasteless neon pink, orange, and green curtains (tied with a baby-blue duck printed strips) crumbling the remainder of his sanity. To make matters worse, there was a horrid 'My Little Pony' pillow case that he swore that he would burn before the hour was up (preferably sooner).**  
**

"Tony Stark will pay for this." He smoothed out the matching comforter, eying the mutated horses in disgust. Suddenly escape seemed more promising than revenge...

At least he was a master illusionist, so he actually only had to suffer this for a few moments (though it was still enough to scar him for life (more than he already had been)). Taking aim first at the walls, he watched as the flowers dissolved in an exact replica of his chambers; ancient stone pillars rising from the floor at intervals, emerald and gold hangings twisting this way and that, sable canvas to rival the depths of space blooming from the ceiling, tendrils of the same spiraling to the floor. Setting the bed ablaze (the pillowcase going up in the most splendid hues of orange and red), Loki replaced the modest twin-size mattress with a mammoth intricately craved, gold-plated oval stuffed to the brim with the most luxurious down, silk bedding (in his favorite color scheme) weaving itself from nothingness to float on top of his work. Now this was befitting a god.

**Elsewhere, A Little Bit Later**

Steve was troubled by Magdalyn - her appearance now of all times, her words about the future (including the lead-up), and her personality in general. There were times that she seemed like an ordinary girl (a sweet one at that), but the strength behind her blow was anything but ordinary. It was always possible that she was either just super strong, genetically altered in some way (sadly he could see Tony doing something like that (not necessarily by choice)), or extremely lucky, but something in her fist told him that she was holding back. She was more than ready to murder her father, but she clung on to Pepper's every movement as if she were the most precious thing around, so where did that put her?

And then there was the whole thing she said about them. That was weird. Steve had preferred a woman around his own age, neither considerably older or younger, so why would he ever get involved with a baby like her? Forget the fact that she was possibly his best friend's daughter (and the granddaughter of one of his closest friends), she wasn't clearly his type. He wasn't one for judging, but he found it odd that he would be associated with a dame wearing knee-high leather boots or exposed undergarments, outside of a Tony's influence (he had been dragged to many a strip club in what Tony called "catching up with the modern world").

He supposed that the only one to really verify any of this would be Magdalyn.

**Meanwhile**

Running his hand distractedly over the plum-colored silk canopy over his bed, Clint stared moodily off into space. Was it him, or had anyone else sensed what Magdalyn was implying about Bruce's daughter? If she was only a year younger than Magdalyn was - and Pepper was already pregnant - then that means that Bruce only had a small window of time to procreate, and from what he knew, the scientist only knew one woman...

* * *

I made a mistake. I hope this won't run too many of you off (the last two chapters, really? (Well, actually, I want to thank you, because quite a few of you have stuck around!)), but when I listed this as a Tony/Loki story, I didn't mean it as a slash (it sounds weird to call a romance a non-slash, but maybe that's the right thing to do, idk). I meant it as "Tony is the main character, but Loki plays a really important part". I have nothing against the both of them together (its actually kind of cute), but if I ever do get around to something like that, it will only be for a couple of chapters. So I thinkest that after I postith this chapter, I shall tweakith the specifics a bit to preventith this from happening againith. Also I already addressed this, but just in case some one else was lost, Tony and Pepper aren't presently married, and Bruce was the only one talking with Magdalyn, meaning that Bruce Banner is Nadia's father, and Nadia and Magdalyn have no blood relation. And apparently since every single Avenger fic must have a reference to "My Little Pony" (at least the one's I've read have), here's mine. Poor Loki...


	6. Clint, The Broken Hearted

Magdalyn sat at the widow, looking out over the grounds, the patches of seasonal blooms merrily devouring the sunlight, just as her father would the liquor store, her hands laced across her left knee, back arched against the wall. She recalled the last time that she had seen this same breathtaking view, the last time that she had seen this house at all. It was a day that she never wanted to revisit, not even in her memories (though it plagued her slumber often). Thankfully, there was a gentle knock on her door, as if the person on the other side wasn't sure about speaking to her. She could always count on a distraction to keep her from the pain and horrors that she had suffered from her own creation. Getting up in no great rush, she wondered if it would be her father demanding a DNA test (but he would probably try to do it in secret for whatever reason), Loki, or Steve looking for answers.

Third time's the charm. A hesitant Captain America stood at her door, hand still stretched out to knock again. She giggled, pushing his hand away, "Steve."

"Ma'am." He said stiffly, nervous to be around this particular woman (he was well aware that it was nothing in the romantic sense (something about her was just not right)).

"You can call me Mag, everyone back home does." She turned around and returned to the window, "Come in, make yourself comfortable."

He nodded, the most adorable look of alarm on his handsome face, clearly afraid. He entered the room, careful to close the door behind himself, seeing that aside from the layout and color scheme (her room was a sunset gold and rose pink, with varying shades of each thrown in), it was no different than his own. Somehow, just that small similarity helped him. On the other hand, her eyes following him made this all the harder, the smile on her lips an unwelcome monster.

"So, what do you want? The secret of life? A cup of sugar? Answers?" She was so much like Tony in the respect of screwing with others, it was as if she were really his clone, but Steve found that it was more intimidating coming from a woman. "The first one I can't answer - no one's figured that out yet - and the sugar's in the kitchen, but if it's answers you want, those I can give to you."

**One Room Over**

Sulking like he usually did (when he wasn't being a badass), Clint tortured himself with the memories of the Chitauri War (if that battle could be called a war). Natasha had given him the perfect chance, probably more than once, but he had not taken it. They were both professionals, and for him, the personal drive for revenge had blinded him to much outside of his target. It didn't help any that he had to bear the weight of his actions (even though he could control himself no more than puppet controls its master). A part him knew what she was implying, and an even less proportionate side of himself desired nothing more than to have taken her in his arms, but he didn't...

And now she was with Banner.

He had had so many opportunities and yet he squandered them all, foolishly believing that she would be waiting for him. He knew that that wasn't fair, as technically she had probably been waiting for him for years, but if she had held out that long, why had she suddenly just given up like that? Was he really so special? Was it the unpredictable danger that he represented that attracted her? The meek geek that could care for her? What was it that Bruce Banner had that he didn't have?

An idea came to him suddenly, an idea that was less practical than it was hopeful. What if there was nothing special about Banner at all? What if this entire thing was just a way to make him jealous, to make him act? Well, two could play at that game...

**Last Night**

Clint had, after falling right asleep in his new bed, woken with a start, a recently sharpened hunting knife clenched in his hand. Something had fallen in Thor's room, and from the sounds of things, it was most likely the flat-screen that came standard in all of the bedrooms. He considered not going to answer the sound, but he figured that since he was awake now, he might as well go check it out. Considering the rules, how did Stark not remove the television set? There was more than enough time to, even after the rooms had been picked (the third floor left alone for some reason).

Speaking of the rooming situation, he understood why the self-proclaimed genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist had opted to stay on the second floor, but why in the world would both Natasha and Banner chose to remain on the same floor? He had the hunch that it was so they too didn't have to room next to Loki, or in their case himself, but he somehow doubted that one. As for not staying on the vacant third floor, there were admittedly a couple of reasons he could see, the first being that out of the eight master bedrooms, none of them were on the third floor (though most of the bathrooms were located on that floor (and he personally knew from years of working with her that she could rough it out in ways that even some of the manliest men couldn't)). Another would be that since Stark and Banner were close friends, it was only natural that they would room close together (if he already wasn't staying with the inventor), and since Tasha was presumably with the scientist, it made sense that she would bunk on the same floor.

Grunting, he put the knife back before rolling out of bed.

Just outside of his room, he saw that the others were mostly already there, "Why is everyone already here?"

He had addressed no one in particular, but it was Natasha who answered, "Stark was worried, and Pepper went with him to help keep things civil, and Bruce was on his way to the lab."

"Why were you here?" He had wanted to ask her how she knew he was on the way to the lab, but he knew that that wouldn't end well.

She looked at him, glancing over her shoulder at the others to make sure that they were preoccupied before nodding at him to lead the way back to his room. Her short hair bobbing with the graceful motion of her head, he had the sudden desire to just shove her against the wall right then and there, but he repressed the urge, turning his back to her. He didn't look at her again until they were shut in his room.

"Something tells me this will be brief," He looked at her coldly, arms crossed over his chest.

She could have smiled at his perfect poker face, well aware that something was bubbling just under the surface, but she frowned at him instead, "Do you think that Loki will reveal what he knows?"

He didn't have to ask to know what she meant (her ledger), "I don't know."

"They'll understand." She said more to reassure herself.

"Tasha," He softened the hard look on his face, aching to wrap his arms around her (but he resisted), "T-"

She shook her head, "Even on the run from SHIELD, he still helped anyone who needed it. I killed all those people for nothing! I'm the real monster..."

"Him? I should have known better," He was fairly sure that he could feel his heart breaking even as they stood there, but he would be dammed if he allowed her to see it, "You should go."

Realizing that she had hurt him, she did the best thing she thought she could do for him - she left.

* * *

Yep, Loki's Secret Talent is decorating! Reminder/warning: Hawkeye called Natasha Tasha (mostly while possessed (once when it was wearing off), and then he called her Nat for the rest of the movie). To the last review, I don't find that to be flaming. In fact, I find it helpful, and I hope to hear more about how you felt this went off course. You don't have to feel obligated to answer that, if you're even still reading this, but out of the interest in getting better, I would like to hear what you have to say. As for Natasha's and Thor's chapters (the two that stuck out like Batman at a Marvel convention), I have removed them from this story and placed them in a fic all their own. On the note of rearranging, I might go back and add chapters, but I might not, so we'll all have to see how I decide to fix this... Well, I do hope to hear from you, any and all of you!


	7. Natasha's Advice

**The Bar In The Second Living Room (On The First Floor)**

Tony sat at the bar, staring absently at a half-empty glass of scotch, his hand pressed firmly against the ever-warming glass. Pepper was off in the bathroom with Natasha (no doubt in hysterics), and Bruce was off in the lab on the top floor. Hand slick with melted ice, Tony ran his hand through his hair, numbly enjoying the water that ran down the back of his neck, cooling down his brain so it didn't overheat with the various possibilities. Aside from the occasional stroking of his head and sip from his glass, he had been sitting motionless as a statue for the past twenty or so minutes.

That girl easily could have been telling the truth about being from the future (after personally seeing the Chitauri enter the earth from the portal created by the Tesseract, he had learned not to count out seemingly impossible events). Even if she was from another time, that was still no guarantee that she was really who she claimed to be. Any idiot off the street could see the resemblance she had to himself and Pepper, but even today medical science was making startlingly rapid developments, so who was to say that she wasn't a spy employing some kind of transformative technology? Then again, her methods weren't the most clear-cut in the world. He would hardly be surprised if she was borderline psychotic.

"But she did seem genuinely shocked to see Pepper..." He muttered contemplatively to himself, trying to puzzle out the girl.

**The Bathroom**

Natasha watched uncomfortably from the doorway as Pepper was bent low over the toilet, strawberry-blonde head half submerged in the porcelain bowl. The spy wasn't sure if the other woman was heaving or crying; loud, indistinguishable sounds emanating from the water. On a scale of one to having to fight the Hulk again, she'd rather be taking on Bruce's alter ego as opposed to offering a comforting hand, as Natasha wasn't the most emotional person around...

"There, there." She said gently, hovering next to the sink, just close enough to be seen but not near enough to be certain of Pepper's actions.

Sobbing, Pepper pulled herself away from the bowl to look at Natasha, "How do women handle that? The idea of spending the next few weeks like this is appalling."

Tossing her a towel from the rack next to the counter, Natasha made a note that neither assumption was wrong, "Then don't."

"What?" Pepper understood what she was saying, but she couldn't believe it.

Sure, she disliked the morning sickness, but she didn't hate it enough to kill her baby! And even taking that avenue into consideration, there were other reasons that it was an option at all. It was a fact that she had taken care of Tony for what felt like a majority of their adult lives, but that was different - adults could be reasoned with, and the last time she had checked (the time-efficient child play-center built into every Stark Industries office her source of information (the idea actually a rather cleaver one originally proposed by Obadiah Stane)), children weren't as apt in the art of compromise. Forget Tony and his underwhelming response to the news (he had done his best to avoid the topic at all costs since she had told him), though looking at what she knew of his past, Pepper could hardly blame him.

Standing at the sink (after washing her hands), the one-time CEO looked at the female spy watching her intently, a look of cold indifference on her normally composed, freckly face, "Were you in my shoes, would you do that? After seeing your child grown up, could you kill her before she was ever born?"

Magdalyn's bold claim had really shaken Pepper, probably to the core, but she had hid it well from the others (not that the guys were exactly renown for their powers of human observation (though it was undeniable that they were masters of observation in their respected fields)). Not that she would dare call it motherly, Pepper had felt a certain connection to the stranger the minute they had met, a connection that she couldn't explain one way or another. Lying to them all or not, there was something special about Magdalyn...

Looking down, Natasha sighed, coming to a rather personal conclusion before looking back up, "Do you know why I don't get close to people?"

Tempted to say something that wasn't very nice, Pepper held the retort back, "Why?"

"No," She cracked a smile at the slightly older woman, reading her thoughts by her body language, "you're right, it's not in my nature. I was raised by a monster. I have a special skill set, and until I met Clint, I didn't care who I used it for. Or on."

Realizing a small hole in the conversation, the businesswoman was quick to point it out, "You seem comfortable with Clint and Bruce."

"Bruce is great." Natasha brightened at the mere mention of his name, but was almost instantly darkened again when she thought of Hawkeye, "...It's complicated with agent Barton."

Having loved a man that she shouldn't love, for several uncounted and unappreciated years no less, Pepper understood more than well enough (the use of his last name also a huge giveaway), "You love him."

Natasha narrowed her bejeweled eyes, "Love is for children. I owe him a debt."

"How much could you really owe him that you haven't already paid back?" Being in her line of work, Pepper was well-versed in the art of bullshit (not that she had anything on Natasha).

"He saved my life. Can you put a price on a life?" She walked to the door, looking back at Pepper, "I can't."

Silent as a shadow, she left the restroom, leaving Pepper standing alone, left to think on her words. _Can you put a price on a life? I can't._ So Natasha wasn't exactly telling her to "take care of it". Knowing that somehow helped...

**Mag's Room**

Seated at the window still, Magdalyn gazed intently at the outside world, taking a deep, resolve gathering breath before looking at Steve (who was standing awkwardly by the door). He had came to speak with her after her bombshell announcement (which wasn't exactly true), and though it seemed a good thing to say at the time, she was regretting it now. Sometimes she really did feel irked by having her father's sick sense of humor. Fair enough, she hated having anything to do with her father, but his smart-assness was really bothersome at times. Like, all the time.

"S-"

She cut him off before he could really even begin, "Allow me to just save us some time and answer what I assume brought you here - We're not dating. We're not even... being intimate. I only said that to piss my old man off, and I just didn't think about anyone else in the process."

Like Tony, apparently the word 'sorry' wasn't in her vocabulary, but he understood nonetheless that what she said was the Stark equivalent, "But why me?"

"You're that bastard's best friend, so how could I not?" She laughed, but it was hollow, a lump forming in her throat, hazel eyes diamonds misting over "And there was another reason..."

She looked away, eyes resting on a rosebush near the front gate. He had the sense to see that whatever was behind her eyes was a terrible thing that had left a deep wound in her heart. She might have been a hard one to figure out, laughing one moment and glaring the next, but it was obvious that there was something at work behind her erratic actions. He wondered what could possibly have happened to her that would scar her so badly (being Tony's daughter probably wasn't the easiest, but he could imagine that she had it better than almost anyone (Tony was...Tony, but there was a lot in him that would surprise most)).

Standing next to her suddenly, infinitely more comfortable now that he knew the truth about their relationship, he put a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Mag, what happened?"

"Do you see that rosebush?" She pointed at it, not bothering to see if he had looked at the red buds in mid-bloom, "I was pruning that bush when I found out that I was..." She couldn't bring herself to say the words directly, so she reworded it, "I got sick, right when I was tending to it. I thought that it might have been the Palladium coming back, but that wasn't it... A part of me wishes that it was."

Steve looked away out of respect as her hazel eyes glimmered, tears welling up at the corners, an unpredictable stream rolling down her cheeks, washing away her makeup. He hadn't noticed it before (due to the obscene amounts of cover-up caking her flesh), but her skin wasn't as airbrushed as it had originally appeared to be. Lightly tanned like her father and sprinkled lightly with a dimmer version of her mother's freckles, Mag's skin was actually a host to dark blue markings - markings he knew (from the file he had read on Iron Man prior to meeting Tony) to be the tattle-tale sign of Palladium poisoning.

He knew that it was rude to pry into other people's personal lives, but this was serious, so Steve felt that it would be irresponsible to ignore it, "Mag, I need you to tell me your story, from the beginning."

Mag nodded, "I guess that I do owe you that much."

* * *

Well that took for freaking ever! And I know, abortion is a huge topic all on its own, that may or may not warrant a higher rating. I don't know. Personally, I am against the very thought of an abortion personally, but a woman's body is her business, and I don't judge. Reviews are totally appreciated.


	8. The One Opponent That Could Beat Thor

Sprawled across the bed was a cape hand-woven from the finest scarlet silk in all of Asgard (or any of the nine realms), stretched straight out without a single crease. Shimmering in the light overhead, the fabric crinkled as it yielded to the impossible weight of the hammer Mjolnir, carefully placed by there by Thor himself, before smoothing out again when he removed the weapon. There was no particular point to this exercise other than to relieve some of the boredom that was consuming him as the others sorted themselves out, and for the moment, it was mildly successful.

"Why am I not surprised to see you this way? Is it impossible to ask for some dignity?" The low murmur of Loki's voice caused the blonde to look up from his crouching position next to the bed, the look of disgust on his face making it perfectly clear that he refused to address Thor as the rightful heir to the throne.

A wide smile spread over Thor's face, lighting it as it had not been lit since his banishment, his cheerful demeanor oblivious to the cloud surrounding his younger kinsmen, all traces of the poison between them lifted for one fateful second, "Brother!"

Loki twisted away, recoiling as if the word burned him, "So this is what the heir of Asgard does while the others investigate that woman? He toils around in his chambers like a dumbfounded child making play that he's a servant girl? And you say that the throne would suit me ill?"

"Loki." Thor chided him, taking them both back to a time long before this, when things were simple and they were brothers without a care between them (or so Thor thought and Loki wished).

Bitterly the brunette looked away, "I will not be bullied by you."

Seeing the defiance in his brother, the squared set of his shoulders (the aged-gold shoulder pads only serving to pronounce it), the slight trembling of his petite (by comparison) frame, the God of Thunder lowered his head, but did not look away from his brother's emerald eyes, "What have I done to push you so far passed the point of redemption? Is there no salvation to be found on your dark horizon? We were brothers once, can't you recall the times we've shared? You might have turned your back to me in this fortress of ice you built for yourself, but know this: You will always be my brother."

Having enough of his brother's sentimental babbling, Loki stepped back so that he was hovering in the doorway, hands griping the wood with about half of their remaining strength (Odin having exponentially decreased the trickster's powers), "How touching. Was that supposed to bring me to my knees in tears of penitence? Those pretty words spouted to ease your conscience over what you yourself have done to me?" He laughed ruefully, "No, I won't be duped into erasing a past that spares only the tormentor. Once upon a time, I might have fallen for this speech, but I know what truly lies behind your words: A sense of false comfort, and the hope that all will be well once I submit myself to a sorry that you deserve no more than you deserved the throne!"

"..." Had Loki remained long enough for a reply, Thor would have had nothing to say to him. It wasn't that his words were true in the slightest, but for him to actually hear what his brother had thought of him? It was too much, even for a god...

* * *

Short and bittersweet (ok, maybe more bitter than sweet)... Poor Thor, having to hear that, and poor Loki! God, if there was space enough for all my mourning for him... It's just not right that he has to be the one to suffer! But I suppose that this isn't the place to erect that monument, is it? Reviews are always lovely, thank you!


	9. Magdalyn's Tale

"I was raised by my mother, my father a no-good drunk that only served to create me and sponge my mother dry. The only things I can admit that he did that were good was that he gave me a means to live with my condition - though he did have help - and he took me in when I had no one else. My story isn't pretty, and it to tell it adequately would take some time, even abridging it, so listen up and listen well."

**Magdalyn's Tale**

The universe was huge, infinite really, and full of endless possibilities, countless tomorrows. The future is static, ever-changing, and impossible to know for certain, as it could change by even the slightest action taken - or not taken - today. But certain things - terrible things in this case - seemed like they were meant to be, and seemed inescapable for some individuals. Some would ask if it was fate while others blamed bad luck, though neither was entirely wrong. Either way, both involved parties suffered from this seemingly inevitable course (the younger of the two long since having given up and resigning herself to a fate that she despised more than anything). No one ever could have prepared them for the loss of that particular life, her place thought to have been absolute in their lives...

Tony and Pepper had, over the course of her pregnancy, began to drift apart, his alcoholism getting progressively worse the closer her due date got. He truly did love Pepper with everything that he had, both real and artificial, but the prospect of fatherhood (his own past haunting him now at every waking moment) had frightened him, driving him deeper down the bottle. His own father had left a deep scar in his life, the flesh always raw and exposed, and he knew in the pit of his stomach that he would do the same to his own child if he had any part of its life. It killed him to have to hurt Pepper in this way (the pain clear on her face every time she looked at him), but he reasoned that this was for the best. Pepper knew what was causing the wedge even without him having said the words, and she also knew that he had to deal with it on his own and face his demons by himself. No matter how badly this divide had crushed her, she kept her head up, doing her best not to show it, fighting on for the sake of her child.

When Pepper finally had the baby, her adorable daughter, she had been alone. The Avengers had visited her and the newborn in the hospital, and even Loki had poked his head in for whatever reason, but Tony had not shown up once. She knew (her fears confirmed by Steve) that he had passed out drunk on the day of their daughter's birth, a bottle in his hand, however she took some comfort knowing that he was safe at home. Crazy as it was, she still loved him.

Pepper's faith in him was rewarded, however, she wished that it had been under better circumstances. Somehow, Tony had not completely rid his body of the Palladium when he rediscovered the cure, the remainder falling dormant until the day that his daughter was born (the placenta protecting her in the womb), the Palladium reactivating in her tiny body. Going to the hospital in a panic (the billionaire scared sober), Tony had administered a liquified version into the baby, only to have her reject it in a nearly fatal allergic reaction. Quickly coming up with a solution, Bruce by his side for every step, offering more than advice, they had created a means to save her life - the catch was that they had to administer the serum to her every day for the rest of her life.

From there things only got worse, and by the time that their daughter was one, Pepper had no choice but to completely give up on Tony if she wanted a healthy environment for her daughter. Leaving everything that she had known for what felt like the entirety of her adult life, she moved into a nice little apartment near the suburbs, working again as an office aid. Collecting a nice monthly check from the billionaire (written out for their daughter and her care), Pepper would check in with the others on his behalf, occasionally acting as his caregiver when he had no one else. She never took her daughter with her on these trips, refusing to let Tony anywhere near her before he cleaned up and got his act together (one of the Avenger's stepping in (usually Steve), or in the case when none of them were available, an agent of SHIELD would act as a temporary babysitter). For a time, the single mother thought that her daughter believed Steve was her father, becuase he had been one of the only constants in her life.

Years had passed, and the girl grew up with only her mother and a handsome check from her father to support the both of them (a majority of the money kept in a private account (quickly accumulating to the point where she was rich on her own)). She wasn't stupid though - she saw the anguish in her mother, and she had grown to resent her father for his abandonment and money. What did they need the money for, when they had each other and the pure love of a mother and daughter? What good did the cash do to ease the grueling death of Pepper's heart? She hated her father as much as a person could hate another, and for an eleven year old, that was saying something.

One particularly cold and snowy winter day, when they had been out grocery shopping, there was an accident, and Pepper had been run down when they had been crossing the street in front of their home. The roads were icy, glossed powder-blue with sleet, and the car's tires had not been properly taken care of, and even though the cabby had tried to stop at the sight of the duo crossing the street, it was too late. Metal twisted into bone, innards punctured and gushing from the inside, blood repainting the flesh. Both mother and daughter had been hit, Pepper's injuries far worse from acting as a human shield, though it looked grim for the both of them. Child needing organ transplants immediately, and knowing full well that she wasn't going to make it much longer if only because of internal bleeding, Pepper had the doctors transplant her organs into her daughter, thus saving her life. Pepper died during the operation, but it was with a smile on her bloodied face, knowing that her daughter would be alright.

Again, her friends had been there for her, and Tony was a no show.

After she had been released from surgery (not an hour after she had learned of her mother's death), she saw her father for the first time in a very long time. Even daunted by her now uncertain future and in torment due to the combination of surgery and the loss of her mother, she could not let her anger at him go. She hated him, blamed him even, and that further aggrieved her, knowing that her mother had never intended for them to have such a sour relationship. Pepper had somehow never hated him, and it was that strength that she had admired most in her mother. She doubted that she could ever forgive him for this, for the life that she had had... For the life that had been lost...

But being a minor, she had no choice but to go live with him, and being her last remaining relative, there was no one else to take her in. It was true that he could have just given her up for adoption, but she was his daughter, and as selfish as it was, the last remaining link he had to Pepper. Intimated as he was by the child, a part of him did love her...

Even still, time was not their friend, the girl acting up in all the worst of ways as she became a teenager, her resent growing until she wound up where all girl's with daddy issues go - the strip club. She had the means to support herself ten times over, and the brains for most any job that she could have wanted, but she stubbornly chose to take her clothes off for a living. It seemed as if her sole reason for living was to publicly embarrass her father and shame the name of Stark (worse than he ever did), and to personally make his life as uncomfortable as she possibly could.

She actually wasn't that bad of a person at heart, once one got past the resent she wore like a shield, but she had been so destroyed by her father, as well as irrevocably damaged by the passing of her mother, that she chose to ruin her own life in the name of revenge. She was so young, and so lost...

But that was before she had found love...

In the most unexpected place, at the most unexpected time, with the most unexpected person...

* * *

Kind of messed up, I know. I totally hated killing Pepper that way, but as with Phil's death, I felt that this gave it more purpose. I wanted to display the kinder side of Mag, but I felt that the way I had this written, I couldn't do it, so I guess that that will have to wait. At least I managed to paint a decent picture of why Mag hates Tony so much... Right?


	10. Dinner With The Avengers

**Dinner Time**

Assembled in the dinning room, Tony seated at the head of the glass-topped table (a martini glass in hand), Pepper at his right and Bruce on his left, the only sound in the room was the clinking of matching dishes, silver knives scraping china, and the dull thunk of a half-full glass being set down. Arriving shortly before dinner had been ordered (Tony had his personal chefs cook a personalized gourmet meal consisting of steak, salad, and desert cake), Phil Coulson (who had came over at the request of Nick Fury to make sure that things were going as smoothly as they could) filled in the one empty place at the ten-person table. He was seated between fellow agent Barton and Thor, sitting diagonally across from his childhood hero, Steve Rogers.

"So, who is this?" Coulson asked conversationally as Magdalyn joined them at last, taking her place next to Pepper and between Natasha.

Tony grumbled something into his drink, receiving a dirty look from Pepper, who answered the question, "It's kind of a long story."

Clint, who had hastily taken the spot next to Bruce so that Natasha couldn't get it (ending up facing Magdalyn), added, "We're not sure."

"You're not sure?" He asked in disbelief, assuming that any given person in the room would have done an extensive background check.

Loki, at the other end of the table, smirked in Clint's direction, "Sounds familiar, doesn't it?"

"You wanna go a round?" The archer leaned over on his elbow so that he could get a better look at the fallen god.

"Clint!" Natasha scolded him in a warning tone.

Grinning at the short leash the Mewling Quim had kept him on, Loki added more fuel to the fire, "I don't make it a habit to fight house pets. Though I must admit that the offer is rather tempting."

"LOKI!" Thor thundered at his brother, slamming his fists down on the table, upending a steaming pot of mashed potatoes.

Unfortunately, the cleavage at the receiving end of the flying food was none other than Magdalyn. Looking between her chest and Thor, arms held up, it looked like she was about to scream at the top of her lungs. Whatever didn't make contact with Mag flew on either side; Natasha merely dodged to her left, and Pepper only got a little bit on her person. Being directly across from her, his keen vision seeing the mashy white substance making contact in almost perfect slow motion, he was drawn to notice her feminine... wiles.

"... I really wish I could say that this was a first..." She was shaking, making an effort not to explode.

Loki rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath (even though they all heard him (proposed alliance forgotten)), "I would bet that she's quite used to things flying at her."

Scooping up a handful of mashed potatoes from between her shirt, Magdalyn balled it up in her fist, hurling it directly at Loki. It hit his lower jaw, spattering partially on his sable vest. She grinned back at him, "And I guess I was wrong - you're not used to taking it in the face."

"I do not understand." Thor, befuddled by the innuendos, looked between his fellow Avengers, and guests, for answers.

Tony rolled his eyes, a 'just shoot me now' look on his face.

Trying to stop the childish antics before they could escalate any higher, Steve prepared to make a heartfelt speech (his normal method of breaking up a fight in his room). Joining in on the madness, Natasha grabbed the head of broccoli from his plate and stuffed it in his mouth. Approving of her actions, Magdalyn grabbed the rolls from their neat little basket, tossing them at random (more than one bouncing off of Tony's head). Not understanding, or maybe understand better than he had been given credit for, Thor stood up, flipping the table over so that all of the food fell on the girls (and Steve (his progress slowed drastically by Tony holding the table, just giving Pepper enough time to scoot away from the line of damage)).

"EVERYONE, OUT!" Pepper shouted so loudly, they were surprised that the glass in the room didn't shatter.

Frightened, they couldn't get out of the dinning room fast enough.

**A Little Bit Later That Evening**

Showered and in a fresh pair of coal-grey sweat pants and a simple black tee, Clint sat alone at the fourth floor bar (it was the only room in the mansion fully stocked with every kind of liquor imaginable). The gigantic jukebox in the back was set to random, playing songs that weren't surprisingly limited to AC/DC (Five Finger Death Punch's From Out Of Nowhere blasting out of the sizable speakers). Mulling over thoughts of Natasha, revenge, and dinner, he was taking his time with his poison of choice when the door opened behind him. Clad in a semi-sheer chemise the color of wine, long hair tied back like a Grecian goddess of old, Magdalyn sat at the bar next to him, pouring herself a peach-flavored wine cooler.

"Nice jab." He said, looking at his glass, taking a swig.

She smiled, doing the same of her own fruity beverage, "Someone had to say it."

"You old enough to be drinking that?" He looked at her, hazarding that she wasn't (though she looked like she could have fallen into either category).

"I've been legally drinking for over four years, besides, I think you'd find that I've been through enough to deserve it." It looked like she had wanted to say something else, but he didn't feel like pressing her on that personal of a matter.

Clint finished his glass during a brief period of silence, pouring another, "You sure did manage to shake things up, and at a very opportune time."

Gathering what he was implying, she shook her head, "I'm not here for Loki."

"Then what are you here for?" He looked at her for perhaps the first time, measuring her and her response.

"..." Aware that now was not the time for sarcasm, she looked at him, debating what to say (purposely taking a long drink to stall for time), "... I'm here because I made a mistake, and now I'm trying to fix it."

Reminded of Tasha by that answer, he repressed a smile, "Why couldn't you go back to when you made it?"

She shrugged, downing her drink (proceeding to fix another as they spoke), "Time-travel isn't that precise."

"You sure have a good story, I'll give you that." He said, doubtful of her sincerity.

Mag laughed, her checks tinting with the liquor, "I've had plenty of time to practice it."

"Drunk already?" He found it ironic that she would be drunk, especially given her earlier claim (how likely was it that Tony's daughter would be an alcoholic like her father, taking into account how much she disdained him (he also found it next to impossible that Tony's child could be a lightweight)), pointing out that she had only had two drinks.

"Not yet." She had actually already been drinking before she had came into the bar, "I was enjoying a nice bottle of bubbly in my room, but it's no fun to drink alone."

He was skeptical about her sobriety (not that he was one to talk at that point), "You sound like you knew I would be in here."

"I did. I know you very well."

"Do you?"

Pointing at his heart (missing by a lot she poked his shoulder), Mag nodded, "You're a good man, but like me, you're really screwed in the head. That's why it made sense."

"What made sense?" Even not at the top of his game, he could still tell that she was talking about something else entirely.

She frowned at him, "... You being here? What else could I possibly have meant?"

Not convinced, he sat back, contemplating his next move. She was an unknown in every sense of the word, but she wasn't without her natural advantages, and having an axe to grind herself, she would certainly understand his position without much explaining. But even if he could trust her, was he really ready to go to that level with Natasha? It was true that she had broken his heart, but could he do the same to her? And with this girl? Was it right to approach her while she was this inebriated?

"I love this song," She laughed drunkenly as the song changed to _Closer_, by Nine Inch Nails, "You let me violate you, you let me desecrate you. You let me penetrate you, you let me complicate you."

To say that her singing was off-key would have been a compliment. Of major proportions. But he had to give her some credit at least - she put a lot of spirit into her wailing. It helped immensely that her layered nightdress accented all the right curves.

"My whole existence is flawed. You get me closer to god. You can have my isolation, you can have the hate that it brings. You can have my absence of faith, you can have my everything. Help me tear down my reason, help me its your sex I can smell. Help me you make me perfect, help me become somebody else. I want to fu-"

"Magdalyn-"

"Mag," She reprimanded, cutting short her sorry excuse for singing, "Magdalyn is what I was called when I'm in trouble. With my mother. Or when some one doesn't know me at all."

He raised an eyebrow at that, "And what makes you so sure that I know you?"

The mischievous glimmer in her hazel eyes brightened, "History."

Under the impression that she was hitting on him, Clint suddenly found himself between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, he was physically attracted to her (he was the only one in the house that was), but on the other, she was either a spy or the daughter of a teammate (and in this scenario, he wasn't sure which was worse). Not to mention what this could do to his plan to get revenge on Natasha... Mag was the only other woman in the house (which was convenient in the short-term, not so much in the long), but she was still at that age where certain things seemed like more than what they actually were... Forget that she wasn't exactly clear-headed...

Even without him having to say it, she understood what was running through his mind. This was the time in his life when he had been in love with Natasha, and judging from his reactions to her at dinner, this was the most painful part of his relationship with her - the turning point when it became clear that they had no future together. That made things messy for her, but knowing where he was coming from (and where he was going) gave her an advantage. He wanted to hurt Natasha for hurting him, and her hatred for her father gave her the perfect excuse to help him (she knew that her personal circumstance would give him pause, but he would get over it).

Something told him he was going to pay for this somewhere down the line...

* * *

First off, I'm so happy to have twenty reviews! You guys so rock! And secondly, I may be wrong, but it seems as if chapter 8 was overlooked by a great many of you. I was surprised, because in that chapter, if you haven't read it already, there is a great scene between Thor and Loki that really develops their relationship as brothers. Also, as far as Hawkeye goes, it's pretty hard to write for a character that doesn't have a ton of parts in the movies (Psst, if you make the movies, you should put more of him in them). The Five Finger Death Punch song was actually on the Avengers album, so that made that choice a no brainer... Well, here's to the reviews!


	11. What Happend After Dinner

The lab on the sixth floor was actually more of an "at home temporary work station", or at least, that's how Bruce had described it to Natasha (more or less). The front half of the lab was an expansive kitchen-like area (roughly five-eights of which was covered in various jars, containers, and chemicals), the back half individual testing centers. It was the first part where Natasha stood, her arms crossed and a small smile on her face.

Propped up on his elbow, the collar of his sky-blue dress-shirt pressing into his cheek, was none other than Bruce Banner, his right hand curled around Loki's scepter. She shook her head, doubting that they would ever come to understand that thing, though she did believe that if it could somehow happen, he would be the one to do it. Figuring out the impossible is what he did; if only he could figure out the opposite sex.

"Bruce," She whispered his name, weary of his other half, "It's getting late."

He stirred, looking at her sideways, eyes bleary, "Tasha?"

She was taken aback that he had called her that (secretly hopeful that it was a step in a good direction), "Yeah?"

He had dozed off again, head rolling to the side, magical spear slipping from his grasp. She caught it before it could hit the floor, setting it back in the rack Bruce and Tony designed to keep it from transmitting or receiving signals or transmissions of any sort. Strictly speaking, no one was allowed to know that the Avengers (namely Bruce) had held on to the alien device.

"You're hopeless," She sighed, lifting him up gingerly, she carried him bridal-style back to his room on the second floor.

**In The Kitchen, After The Dinner Fiasco**

Pepper leaned back against the wall, watching Tony dig through the cabinets for an appeasement snack for his leading (and only) lady. After she had ranted, raved, and got off the steam, he had gone to her side, going so far as to help clean up the mess (his idea of "helping" was to stand over the maids' backs, occasionally barking out an order, or what he called "advice"). Though initially annoyed, Pepper thought that it was sweet of him to try to make her feel better, especially after the way he continued to dodge the discussion of their child. This small act at least showed that he cared for her somewhat, and that was all that she really needed to know.

"You do know that we'll have to talk about this sooner or later, right?" She saw him freeze up for second, before digging around again, "You can pretend that you can't hear me, but that doesn't mean that I'm not going to speak. Tony, I've been thinking about this, and I decided that I'm going to keep the baby."

There was a muffled thud as he hit his head and a stream of profanity followed, "You what?"

"I'm going to keep it. At first I wasn't sure if I wanted to, but after Magdalyn showed up here, it really made me realize that I want more in my life." She was a little breathless at the end of her speech.

"More? Aren't I enough for you?" Tony stood up, walking over to his girlfriend, "I love you."

Green eyes misting up, Pepper looked at Tony, her heart dropping as she imagined where this was going, "I love you too, but this is different! I can't really explain it, but I felt something, a kind of bond, and-"

"Magdalyn, really? You're going to let that psycho tear us apart?" He looked no happier than she did, his arms wrapping loosely, desperately around her shoulders.

"Tony," Pepper was beyond the verge of tears now, "This has nothing to do with her. This is about our child, the one that we're having. You don't think I don't want us together? Us having a future together, raising this child? But I know you; you have a great heart, and I know that you would care for us in your own way, but you're...you."

He dropped his hands, hurt by the one person he never thought would hurt him, "I'm me? So you have faith I'm capable of all this good, and you watch me saving the world on a daily basis, but you think that I would harm you and the kid?"

"I know that you-"

"That I what?" He cut her off, eyebrow raising, "That I have daddy issues? I'll admit that my father wasn't there for me - he never even said that he liked me... And you think that I'm going to be like him? Or worse? You don't know how bad it hurts to have a father who was there, but one that doesn't act like it."

"Tony..." She reached out for him, but he shrugged away from her touch.

**The Front Gate  
**

Steve, the only one gracious enough to show out their guest, stood outside with Coulson, the agent buckled in his silver SHIELD-issued Acura , window rolled down so that he could converse with the other man. Poor Steve was still covered in uneaten (or half-eaten) foodstuffs.

"You sure have your work cut out for you, Captain." The agent smiled, "But I know that if anyone can help them get along, it's you."

If only Steve was so optimistic in this case, "I hope so..."

Getting on to more serious matters, Coulson redirected the conversation, "That woman, you don't think she poses a threat, do you?"

"Mag?" He felt that they could trust her, though there was something about her that needed to kept under watch, "She's not a direct threat, no, but she should be kept under close observation."

"I'll discuss it with director Fury," he nodded, starting the engine, "You can expect my call in the morning."

* * *

Yes, I believe that she really is that strong. Maybe it's a bit of comic book bias/influence, but I fully believe in the amazing prowess of the Black Widow! And heart-breaking much? At least Coulson had a moment with Steve... I tried to balance the sad with the happy, but I dunno... I do know, however, that the Avengers can expect more company tomorrow!


	12. Bring Your Girlfriend to Work Day

The next morning rolled around with heartache, headaches, and more than one surprise. The only ones to avoid these were Steve and Natasha, which unfortunately left them free to deal with everyone else's problems. It wasn't that they overtly minded assisting their teammates in general (for the most part), however that was not how they wanted to spend their morning...

First off, there was Tony, who was not only suffering from a rather ugly (but not the worst he's ever had) hangover, but the never-leaving-my-bed-again ramifications of his fight with Pepper last night. Pepper was easily just as devastated as Tony, leaving them all to fend for themselves with breakfast as she refused to leave Natasha's room in her current condition. As far as their meals went, none of the team had expected a maid service from Pepper, more than understanding of how she must have felt. If there had been any sympathy for Tony, it was not visible.

Locked away in his room, Tony had JARVIS tell the team that today was just going to be a lazy sunday in the hopes that they would be too busy with their own personal stuff to bother with him. Like a teenager, he was depressed and wanted to sulk. He had tried several times that night to speak with Pepper, but she had taken shelter with Natasha, and Tony wasn't about to have the triple agent involved if he could help it. Knowing her, she would either hold it over his head, or, if she had become close enough with Pepper, she might flat-out try to kill him, and he was far too important to kill. He also wasn't wrong, though it was more because she had been pulled from bed before she had even had the chance to sleep, but either way Natasha still had Tony on her list.

**The Living Room (The Main One)**

Showing their guests inside, Bruce inviting fellow scientists Erik Selvig and Jane Foster over via e-mail late last night after a possible break, the cautious one had every intention to personally explain to them why he had requested their presence. Selvig had played a pivotal role in the Chitauri War, having been the one person they knew about being possessed by the scepter to actually retain even a portion of his mind (although strictly speaking he was not alone), as well as being a brilliant individual that he had worked with in the past. Miss Foster was currently leading the way in time-space exploration, and being a friend of Thor's, he knew she could be trusted. What he failed to understand was the inclusion of one Darcy Lewis. While he explained the shape of the situation, the rather unexpected addition to the party followed along, rolling her eyes at the scientific jargon. Noticing this, Jane gently smacked her in the arm.

"Pay attention! This could be important!" She scolded her friend and what could best be described as assistant.

Darcy turned up the volume on her Ipod, a replacement for the one SHIELD confiscated, shrugging at her mentor. That girl...!

Maybe halfway through his speech about the utmost secrecy of this experiment, just outside of the living room and on the way to the elevator to the lab, a certain blonde head poked out to see who Bruce was speaking to. Blue, blue, such an unearthly blue, the moment his eyes fell on Jane, Thor's face lit up, and he had covered the distance between them in as little as four steps. Literally, the doctors had counted it.

"Jane! I had no idea that you would be visiting the House of Stark!" He boomed loud enough for Loki to hear him in his room so many stories up.

She beamed at her physically exquisite boyfriend, chuckling nervously, "Heh, Yeah, I am." She tucked a piece of her hair behind her ears, "Dr. Banner invited us over last night to examine something."

Darcy rolled her eyes as Selvig turned his attention back to his host, "From what I heard at the compound, should you really have brought anyone over yet?" Especially the man that had more-or-less willingly aided in the destruction wrought by (in Stark's words) a tantruming, hormonal diva? For science, Selvig had few regrets, but for the sake of all of those lives, he still carried a heavy sense of shame and remorse.

"Normally, no," Bruce shook his head, "But I think you want to see this..."

**Clint's Room**

Stretching his bare arms out as he stirred, head pounding from last night, the last thing Clint had expected was to feel another body in bed with his own. But sure as the film over his eyes, there she was; slumbering away with a peacefulness he only dared to dream of, her limbs twisted under head, charred scarlet hair tumbling over key locations, palladium-traced chest rising and falling with every breath she took. Piecing last night together as best as he could (which considering how hammered they got was a heroic effort in and of itself), he recalled the hazy events leading up to this...

**Clint's Room, 2:30 - 3:00 A.M.**

Drinking roughly half their own body weight in liquor, or the human equivalent without inciting fatal poisoning, wondering out of the bar with a full bottle of vodka in hand, they had somehow or other managed to locate his room, and not without a godly green witness to their drunken progress. Nothing really transpired from the crossing outside of disapproving scowls, which suited everyone just fine at that juncture. Although it severely undermined Clint, it was still rather advantageous for them to be seen...

Smiling crookedly as they fell into the bedroom, Magdalyn fell back against the door once they were both in, her sheer robe momentarily getting caught, tearing as she jerked free, "I haven't drank this much with you since the day I got hired..." She giggled, mind lost to the influence of another, "She really wasn't happy, but you made such a good case..." Her face wrinkled as the trip down her memory lane went on, obviously getting bothered by something, "It was a great gig, and I had a great time working with you, but it was just too hard working at S.H.I.E.L.D. after..."

Her voice cracked, but he was more interested in trying to disrobe this dream Tasha, so her words were ignored, and whatever was heard was later stored away, "Don't talk, Nat... We've been doing so much of that all of these years, but I've never said the words I've really wanted to all of this time-"

"Nat?! You...!" Twisting her head around with demonic speed, she pushed him away, causing him to spill some of the bottle,"Here I am, almost the only woman in your life, and you still talk about her!"

He might have been angry with her for wasting the contents, but anything he might have said was lost as she fell to the floor in tears, wailing incoherent things about her life; things that, had he been in a better frame of mind, he still probably wouldn't have understood. Besides the fact that he was uncharacteristically well beyond his normal point of inebriation (which emotional trauma will sometimes spur on), the Hawk was in no mood nor place to tell if what she was talking about was true or false, and quite frankly, he could care less about anything coming out of her mouth at that moment. It might just have been the booze speaking, but there was only one thing he wanted out of her...

Helping her over to the bed, she wiped away her face after regaining an ounce of composure, blubbering softly, "I'm sorry, but you have to understand how much it hurts me to have to relive this, and it feels like every time is just a fresh reminder of losing you..."

"Magdalyn?" Holding her hands for more selfish reasons than comfort, Barton watched expectantly as she leaned just a little bit closer to him.

Closer and closer she came, practically falling at the end as her face inched towards his own, getting bigger and bigger as it loomed just at the right place to lock lips. _Just a little more_. Going that extra mile, she was there, and then, she wasn't. At all. Having passed out, Mag had missed his face completely, head hitting the pillow as she fell into a semi-restorative slumber. More than just a little disappointed, he leaned his face close to hears, half debating if should kiss her anyways, but he didn't make it very far before he too had lost consciousness...

**Clint's Room, the present**

Somehow, he had been expecting to find that there had been an incident involving his knife, body shots, and a pair of handcuffs, but as boring as the truth was, it was a huge breath of relief to him all the same. It wasn't that she wasn't attractive - the young woman was possibly able to pass for Natsaha's daughter as well - he merely had no inclination to make matters complicated without considering all of the consequences first.

"Well, now all that's left is to see what she does." He shook her awake, gently at first, as cautious as he could be of an assult considering her unknown nature, "Wake up! Magdalyn?"

She jumped as if jolted by another one of Natasha's tasers, "I'm up!" Seeing who was by her side, she relaxed, laying her head back down on his shoulder, "Please tell me we don't have work today. They can get so annoying, especially after we have a relapse... If I wasn't in such a bad way," She winked at him, obviously forgetting that she was in the past, "We could have some fun today. A late breakfast, maybe some training, then if you still have the strength, we could come back to our room and have a little old-fashioned fun."

Was it possible to be hungover and drunk at the same time? He really had to wonder, "You work for S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

Realizing her mistake at last, she jerked up, taking in her surroundings better, hair sweeping gently to remain in place, "Or whatever." She cleared her throat uncomfortably, "But, yes, I did work for S.H.I.E.L.D., briefly. But that was when this was more..." She trailed off, "I mean, I did, but that was when I was in a stable place."

He hoped she meant financially, though considering her alleged family ties, he doubted it, "Do you remember last night?"

"Not really." She shrugged, apparently untroubled by that, or lying, "I remember flashes. And someone named Larry...?"

Not a Larry, but, again, there had been a Loki... But he had had such a small cameo last night, why in the world would she possibly remember seeing the captive? Hmm, he didn't like the odds of the answer to that one bit...

* * *

The title "Bring Your Girlfriend to Work Day" was actually inspired by a conversation I had while watching the Avengers for about the millionth time. Anyone know if you can break a DVD by watching it too much? As for the drinking stuff, I've never been hungover before, so I really don't know how one would act in that situation, so sorry if it's inaccurate.


End file.
